The present invention is related to transport carts for transporting elongated objects from a first location to a second location, and in particular to a transport cart which is capable of transporting a compressed gas cylinder from a first height to a second height without changing the relative altitude of the cart.
Carts for transporting compressed gas cylinders are well known and are routinely used in commercial and research environments wherein such cylinders are ubiquitous. The cylinders are generally found wherever a source of compressed gas is needed.
Compressed gas cylinders under pressure are generally heavy metal cylinders of substantial weight. Typically their weight is too great to be readily lifted by one operator and generally necessitates the service of two or more men working together. Given the current and ongoing need for more ergonomic methods of transporting heavy loads such as compressed gas cylinders, inventions which directly address the shortcomings of the prior art are always in need. Evidence of the longstanding need for improved handling and transportation equipment for compressed gas cylinders can be found in the patent art. U.S. Pat. No. 2,624,483 to Ketzel discloses a carrier for welding outfits wherein the carrier can be used as a transport trailer for dragging compressed gas cylinders behind a vehicle on a road and also for holding the compressed gas cylinders firmly in an upright position during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,896,249 to Russel discloses a carrier for compressed gas cylinders which can be used to manually transport two compressed gas cylinders. The carrier has a collapsible storage means so that the compressed gas cylinders need not be removed from the transporter while the cylinders are being used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,118 to Luca discloses a transporter for compressed gas cylinders which comprises an elongated load-bearing beam which has attached to it a cylinder support yoke for cradling the compressed gas cylinder, a first set of wheels for transporting the compressed gas cylinder, a pair of rotatably attached wheels by which the load-bearing means will be supported when in an inclined upright position, and a hook for engaging with a valve cover of a compressed gas cylinder.
It will be understood after a review of the prior art that known transport carts or transporters for compressed gas cylinders do not provide means for transporting a compressed gas cylinder from a first surface having a first height to a second surface having a different second height. Known compressed gas cylinder transporters require manually lifting or lowering a compressed gas cylinder from a first height to a different second height. Thus, a need exists for a transport cart for compressed gas cylinders which will permit a user to easily transport the cylinder from a first surface having a first height to a second surface having a different second height while minimizing the effort required by the user to do so.
The present invention addresses the disadvantages of known transport carts for elongated objects and, thus, is generally directed to a versatile transport cart which can be used to transport compressed gas cylinders from a first surface having a first height to a second surface having a different second height. The construction of the present transport cart is such that it can be easily manufactured and adapted for use with a wide range of elongated objects, such as compressed gas cylinders, of a variety of sizes and dimensions. The cart of the present invention will permit facile lifting and relocation of elongated objects and can be used in a variety of commercial, industrial and residential applications.
In one aspect, the invention provides a cart for transporting elongated objects, the cart comprising:
a frame comprising a rear end, a front end, an upper portion and a base;
a receiving area defined by and disposed at said front end of said frame;
a retainer pivotally engaged with said frame for retaining an elongated object received in said receiving area; and
moving means mounted on said base of said frame to permit moving said frame on a surface;
wherein a lower portion of said elongated object can be transported from a first height to a different second height, approximating a height of said retainer, by pivoting said retainer relative to said frame.
The retainer of the cart can be adapted to retain elongated objects, such as compressed gas cylinders, about a point approximating the center of gravity of the object. The retainer will be pivotally mounted with respect to the cart; therefore, an elongated object being retained by the retainer will be relatively easily pivoted about its center of gravity making it possible for the lower end of the object to be lifted to a height which approximates that of the retainer. The retainer can comprise one or more of a variety of different gripping means which are adapted to grasp, hold, or retain objects.
The cart of the invention can further comprise a rest which is disposed distal from the retainer and which is adapted to at least one of receive and retain an upper or lower portion of the elongated object when the object has been mounted onto the cart and pivoted about its center of gravity.
A cart according to the invention can further comprise a height adjuster which is telescopically engaged with the frame of the cart and which is pivotally engaged with the retainer so as to permit adjustment of the altitude of the retainer with respect to the altitude of the cart. In this embodiment, a cart resting on a first surface having a first height can be used to lift an elongated object from the first surface to a second surface having a higher or lower height relative to the first surface without changing the relative altitude of the cart. The height adjuster of the cart can comprise a variety of well-known manual, mechanical and/or automatic lifting means known to those of skill in the art.
The retainer can be pivotally engaged with the frame of the cart by essentially any known pivoting or hinge means. The cart of the invention can also include one or more storage areas for storing equipment, small compressed gas cylinders, tools, and other objects.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a cart for transporting compressed gas cylinders from a first surface having a first height to a second surface having a second height, said cart comprising:
a frame defining a cylinder receiving area at a first end thereof;
a cylinder retainer pivotally engaged with said frame and disposed adjacent said cylinder receiving area; and
moving means affixed to said frame to permit movement of said cart;
wherein a lower portion of said gas cylinder can be raised to a height approximating that of said cylinder retainer.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the cylinder retainer can be made height adjustable relative to the cart such that the altitude of the cylinder retainer will change while keeping constant the altitude of the cart and the position of the cylinder retainer with respect to the cylinder. A particular embodiment of the invention also provides a cylinder retainer which height is adjustable with respect to the height of the cylinder. When a height adjustable cylinder retainer is used, a height adjustable cylinder rest can also be used. The cart can be adapted such that the height of the cylinder rest and the cylinder retainer can be adjusted simultaneously or independently of one another.
Other features, advantages and embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by the following description, accompanying examples and appended claims.